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Reid vows quick Senate vote on VA health bill

By WTOP Staff

MATTHEW DALY
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — A refashioned bill to address problems plaguing the Veterans Affairs Department should be approved by the Senate as soon as possible, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Monday.

The bill, sponsored by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., would give the VA authority to immediately remove senior executives based on poor job performance while preventing “wholesale political firings” that Sanders said could be allowed under a similar bill approved by the House.

The Senate bill also would allow veterans who can’t get timely appointments with VA doctors to go to community health centers, military hospitals or private doctors and would authorize VA to lease 27 new health facilities in 18 states.

“This is really good legislation,” Reid said Monday on the Senate floor. “Every senator should support this.”

The bill comes amid a growing scandal over patient delays and cover-ups at VA hospitals and clinics nationwide that led to the resignation last week of former Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki. A federal investigation into the troubled Phoenix VA Health Care System found that about 1,700 veterans in need of care were “at risk of being lost or forgotten” after being kept off an official waiting list.

The investigation also found broad and deep-seated problems throughout the sprawling health care system, which provides medical care to about 6.5 million veterans annually.

While those who have lied or manipulated data must be punished, “we also need to get to the root causes of the problems that have been exposed,” said Sanders, chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. With 2 million more veterans coming into the system in recent years, after the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, “there are many facilities within the VA that do not have the doctors, nurses and other personnel that they need to provide quality care in a timely way,” Sanders said.

Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, said the Senate should approve a bill he sponsored to give the VA secretary authority to immediately fire VA senior executives based on performance. The House approved the bill, 390-33, last month.

Miller dismissed concerns expressed by Sanders and other Democrats that the House bill would “trample” on due-process rights and protections for VA employees. The House bill also could allow firing of whistleblowers, Sanders said.

“Ironically, the same lawmakers voicing these concerns do not afford similar ‘rights’ and ‘protections’ to their own employees, making their opposition to (the House bill) all the more incomprehensible,” Miller wrote Monday in a column on Time Magazine’s website.

A White House spokeswoman said the Obama administration shares the goals of the House-passed bill and has worked with Sanders to move legislation forward while addressing some technical issues with the House-passed version.

“We hope Congress can finish its work on a bill that addresses accountability and makes important reforms (at the VA) and will continue to work closely with them to get that done,” spokeswoman Amy Brundage said.

Paul Rieckhoff, CEO and founder of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, urged the Senate to approve the House-passed bill “as its stands” and send the measure to President Barack Obama.

At a Capitol Hill news conference Monday, Rieckhoff described the Senate as the place “where good ideas go to die.”

Rieckhoff called for a criminal investigation into the VA’s health care system and said anyone who falsified records or other wrongdoing should be prosecuted.

“If people broke the law and hurt our veterans, they should go to jail,” he said.

Michael Briggs, a spokesman for Sanders, dismissed Miller’s criticism Monday, saying the House-passed bill “does one part of one thing and does it poorly. We are looking at a more comprehensive approach.”

An earlier version of Sanders’ bill did not have enough support to pass in February.

Meanwhile, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., called on Acting Veterans Affairs Secretary Sloan Gibson to release 216 site-specific audits detailing widespread falsification of waiting list records and unreported delays in treatment at VA facilities across the country. The VA released results of the audits Friday, but did not reveal any site-specific data.

“The American public, most especially our nation’s veterans, have a right to know now what problems have been found, who is responsible and what will be done to remedy these serious issues,” Blumenthal said.

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Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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